1. Management of BdM fisheries in Melanesian countries
A scoping study supported by ACIAR, managed by SPC, and conducted by Nautilus Consultants

2. Team Leader and lead author
Crick Carleton
Co-authors
John Hambrey
Hugh Govan
Paul Medley
in-country correspondents
PNG, SOL, VAN, FIJ, TON

3. Scoping study requirements
Headline figures
Best estimate - sustainable production, export value and income for rural communities – from well-managed fishery
Supply chain management
Suggested fiscal and economic measures to improve management, improve benefits, and promote cost recovery
Improved management plans
Outline opportunities for improved management framework
Regional initiatives
Examine opportunities for regional cooperation to improve sector performance

4. provincial or regional boundaries

6. TON
SOL
VAN
FIJ
PNG

15. Suggested precautionary TACs at national level
average over last 15 years
as proportion of 15 yr average
precautionary overall TAC
t/yr %
PNG
455
85%
387
Solomon Islands
165
140
Vanuatu 18 15
Fiji
275
75%
206
Tonga 55
150% 83

20. Recommendations 1
Recommendation 1 – agree at regional level on common data standards (Customs and Fisheries Depts) – covering exports and purchases.
Recommendation 2 – agree common standard for publication of detailed annual performance reviews of sector – per country – providing an evidence basis for policy and management
Recommendation 3 – set Province based quotas, by species or per value group, to be monitored and controlled by direct inspection at the point of export
Recommendation 4 – to manage Province-based quotas, all data should reference back to Province of origin
Recommendation 5 – management at the local level should combine minimum size limits with locally determined “move-on” rules triggered by falls in the size frequency distribution of landings.

21. Recommendations 2
Recommendation 6 – to give further force to the “move-on” rule in free-diving fisheries, limit fishing activity to one or more short fishing seasons – the shorter the better.
Recommendation 7 – focus management on the 4 to 8 species in each Province that contribute over three quarters of production value – and at a minimum white teatfish and lolly fish.
Recommendation 8 – develop and communicate simple guides to improved processing, and to encourage communities to invest in communal batch processing of product (possibly helped by limiting fishing to short concentrated seasons).
Recommendation 9 – tighten eligibility criteria for the issuing of export and process licenses to ensure that licensees work for the industry and not vice versa, share information between MSG member countries on license holders, and any infringements of license conditions, and substantially increase the scale of license fees.
Recommendation 10 – there may in time be opportunity to auction export quotas between licensed exporters at a national level as a means of increasing the level of recovery of the costs of monitoring and surveillance in this industry.